Tier 2 — strong

The efficacy of adjunctive N-acetylcysteine in major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Michael Berk, Olivia M Dean, Sue M Cotton, Susan Jeavons, Michelle Tanious, Kristy Kohlmann, Karen Hewitt, Kirsteen Moss, Christine Allwang, Ian Schapkaitz, Jenny Robbins, Heidi Cobb, Felicity Ng, Seetal Dodd, Ashley I Bush, Gin S Malhi
J Clin Psychiatry 2014 75(6):628-636

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 25004186
DOI
10.4088/JCP.13m08454
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
ModelHuman
Sample252 participants
InterventionAdjunctive NAC versus placebo
Duration12 weeks plus follow-up
EndpointsDepression symptoms; Function; Adverse events

What the study showed, in plain terms

Large adjunctive NAC trial in major depressive disorder.

Key findings

The primary depression endpoint was not clearly superior at week 12, although some secondary and post-treatment signals favored NAC.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Mixed endpoint timing and secondary findings require caution; gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal adverse events occurred more often in some analyses.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology